


Retrospective

by zinniapetals



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Pre-Canon, Strangers to Friends, Voltron Secret Santa 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-24 13:14:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13214493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zinniapetals/pseuds/zinniapetals
Summary: “Mind if I sit here?”Hunk turned to Lance, his lips involuntary turning into a small smile as he greeted him. “Go ahead.”“Excited for a new school year?” He asked, the rest of the room filling up quick.“I guess,” Hunk answered, lifting his pencil and setting it on the other side of his notebook. He crossed his hands together, asking Lance the same question.“I am now.”or that one fic where it's just a series of snapshots into Hunk's and Lance's interactions pre-season 1.





	Retrospective

**Author's Note:**

> So this is for the Voltron SS event and wow I'm so late on posting this but i hope everyone had a great holiday season! also if any of the wording about the galaxy garrison sounds weird i actually used real stuff from US military academy so yeah... anyways hope you enjoy!

Hunk moved between the crowd of adults and students, apologizing every time he had to slightly push someone out of the way, trying to make his way through. He scanned over the heads of everyone, on his tiptoes, searching for his family when he spotted them at a table, his mother and father talking with another couple.  

“Hey man,” a hand grabbed him by the arm, stopping him in his tracks. “You dropped this.” 

Hunk turned to face the voice, a shorter, thinner guy handing him his wallet, a pleasant smile on his face. 

“Oh shit,” Hunk muttered, patting his empty back pocket where his wallet should have been. “Thank you so much.”

“No problem,” the other student said, waving off Hunk’s appreciation. “Be careful though.” 

-

“You must be in bed by the time stated in the handbook. Any one that breaks the rules will be written up and if you have too many write ups, there is a possibility of expulsion.”

Hunk flipped through the pages of his orientation handbook, skimming through the text as the lecturer continued to drone on about the importance of curfew and attending classes on time. He reached the page talking about meals and clicked his tongue at the text. 

“Unbelievable right?” 

Hunk blinked at the paper and tilted his head left, staring at the person who talked to him.  

“Treating us like children right? Obviously most of us have read the handbook but there he goes, just repeating words straight from it.”

Hunk laughed politely at the high-strung guy, turning his attention back to his handbook that he did not review beforehand, suddenly interested in whatever the lecturer had to say.

“Excuse me! I have a question!” He faced the front, a hand popping up from the blob of gray students, then a girl stood up, handbook opened up as she asked, “I know you just said that if we miss mealtime that we’re out of luck, but here in the book it says that sometimes, some tables won’t get food. Can you explain that?” 

All at once, a combination of surprise, outrage, and exasperated sighs filled the room. The person who asked the question sat down and Hunk was actually glad that she asked all those questions; after all, he had those same thoughts running through his head.

“Glad to know that I wasn't the only one who didn't read the handbook.” 

Hunk turned around at the familiar voice, eyes widening as he recognized the guy who helped him during reception day. The girl next to him laughed at the guy’s comment, the guy ready to make another joke when Hunk’s movement caught his attention.

“Hey there. Still have your wallet?” He asked, a coy smile on his face as he leaned forward. 

Hunk snorted and rolled his eyes playfully, offering his hand to introduce himself. “Yeah I do. I’m Hunk, nice to meet you.”

“No need to be so formal,” the other student said, laughing but still shaking Hunk’s hand. “My name is Lance. Are you a pilot?”

“Engineer.”

Lance oohed at that, nodding as the girl next to him said something too soft for him Hunk to hear. “So is she.”

Hunk introduced himself to her, feeling the gaze of Lance’s eyes on him. 

“What?”

The hall started to quiet down when the professors in front finally switched for a another person to explain how mealtime is supposed to happen.

“You two will be seeing each other a lot,” Lance mused, looking at the brunette next to him. “Lucky you.”

The girl laughed again, turning away from the two males and she brushed her hand through her hair lightly and Hunk stared at Lance, the lithe male giving him a lazy smile.

-

“Oh hey!”

Hunk lifted his head form the water fountain, wiping the drops of water on his lips as he smiled at Lance. “Hey man. What’s up?”

“Just trying to scope out the fastest and easiest route to get to my classes.”

“Ah yeah, this place is huge huh?” Hunk asked, walking closer to Lance as the other slowed down for him to catch up. “Are your classes far from each other?” 

“Yup! Especially my Day 2 classes. I have boxing and then chemistry and then flight school and-“

“Aren’t they at opposite directions of the campus?” Hunk asked, humor lacing his question at Lance’s misfortune.  

“Yup,” Lance answered, huffing in annoyance. “How are your classes?”

“They’re close to each other,” he replied nonchalantly, checking his watch for the time. "Aw crap. I got to go meet up for additional instruction. See you later.”

“See ya!” 

-

“Haven’t seen you around lately!”

Hunk yawned loudly as he pushed his sleeves up his arms, grease and sweat gathered at the edges of his long sleeved shirt. 

“Hey Lance. What’s up?”

“Nothing much,” Lance answered, leaning on the machine that Hunk was trying to fix. “Just heading to the stimulation room. Are you almost done?”

“Not really,” Hunk answered, standing up and stretching, his back cracking from the overdue movement. “How’s being a pilot?”

“As exciting as I thought it would be,” Lance dryly replied, face brightening when he saw some other engineers he knew. “I’m gonna go, but good luck! I know you’ll finish whatever you need to finish!”

Hunk smiled politely at Lance's superficial cheering and faced the machine again, shaking his hands out before getting back to work.

- 

"Hey," Lance greeted, nodding his head in his direction as he walked away with a group of people Hunk didn't know. 

He waved slightly, Lance already gone and Hunk wondered if Lance never said anything, would he have? 

-

“Finals are just the absolute worst!”  

Lance slammed his books on the table Hunk was at, cringing as a couple of people around him shushed him. He slid back the chair across from Hunk and sat down in it, rummaging through his bag and Hunk looked up from his textbook. 

“Want some?” He offered, a candy bar in his hand. “You look like you could use some sugar.”

“Thanks,” Hunk replied, grabbing for the candy and rubbed at his eyes with his other hand. “You don't look at stressed as I thought you would be.”

“You think of me?” Lance asked, biting into his own candy bar, chewing on it as he looked over his textbooks on the table. He stared up from the silence, smiling widely at Hunk’s deadpanned face. “It’s a  _joke_. Anyways, I haven’t really studied at all so I guess I’m so panicked that it’s being relayed as confidence.” 

“That makes no sense.” Hunk quietly opened his candy bar, the smell of chocolate reminding him that he skipped dinner.

“Just like this semester,” Lance commented, picking out his math textbook and looked over at Hunk’s. “Wow. You’re that far up in math?”

“Yup,” Hunk said, glancing over Lance’s textbooks, some things he had a general knowledge of and others that he never even heard of. “I guess pilots and engineers have different subjects for each year?” 

“I heard that next year we’d have some classes together.” Lance replied, opening his bag to grab his math notebook. His next words coming out so casually as he searched through his bag. “Unless I wash out or something.” 

“Don't say that,” Hunk grimaced, biting into the bar and relished the taste of food. “You’ll do fine. I’m sure.” 

Lance hummed and grabbed his notebook, opening it and scanning through his notes, which were detailed and neat Hunk noticed. “Well I guess we’ll just have to see right?” 

-

"How'd you do?" Lance asked, waiting at the water fountain that they coincidentally met at earlier that year. "Bad? Good? In between?" 

"I think I did good," Hunk admitted, not saying that he felt shitty on the free response portion of chemistry and that he's sure he used the wrong formula for a question of Calculus. "How 'bout you?" 

"I think I did as good as I could," Lance said, laughing and rubbing his neck. "Enough to pass to next year I'm sure."

"That's great!" Hunk commented, positive that Lance was downplaying himself. Why? He didn't know but he could play along. "I'm actually going to head to the cafeteria to buy some snacks..."

Lance waited for Hunk to continue and Hunk paused, debating if he should invite him.

"Do you want to come?" He finally asked, sort of hoping that Lance would say no.

"Yeah! That sounds like fun," Lance said, smiling crookedly at the awkward invitation.

-

"Mind if I sit here?" 

Hunk turned to Lance, his lips involuntary turning into a small smile as he greeted him. "Go ahead."

"Excited for a new school year?" He asked, the rest of the room filling up quick. 

"I guess," Hunk answered, lifting his pencil and setting it on the other side of his notebook. He crossed his hands together, asking Lance the same question.

"I am now."

- 

“Where are you going?” 

He was only twenty feet away from the kitchens, why of all things did he have to get interrupted now? 

“Bathroom,” Hunk immediately replied, his answer steady and practiced. 

“ _Really_? Cause last time I checked, the bathrooms for the plebs aren’t around here.”  

“Well,” Hunk drawled, turning around only to meet eyes with Lance. Go figure, out of all the people who had to stop him, it had to be him. “I like the cadet’s bathroom better. It doesn't smell like piss.”

“You have a point there,” Lance agreed, nodding as he shifted his bag from his left shoulder to his right, the thick fighter pilot manual tagged with different colored sticky notes and flags. “Anyways-”

“I didn't know the library was opened this late,” Hunk said, fully aware that it was well past their curfew. 

“Yeah, I got special permission to be out this late,” Lance answered, a smirk on his face that contrasted the dark bags under his eyes and the sharp collarbones that were peeking from his stretch out t-shirt.  “Which brings us back to you. What are you doing out this late?” 

“Bathroom,” Hunk answered again, sounding less confident this time.

“Mhm, right,” Lance teased, walking passed Hunk, swinging a small key on his finger. “Just letting you know, they changed the time for nighttime patrols. The next patrol is going to be in hmm, I wanna say two minutes or so..” 

Shit. 

“If I was you,” Lance said, looking over his shoulder with a smart grin on his tired face, “I’d hurry up and use the bathroom and head back to bed.”

With a small wave, Lance walked away and made a left to the teacher’s lounge. Hunk groaned as he made his way back to his room, stomach grumbling at he thought of not being able to have a midnight snack. 

-

“Well, would you look at that.” 

Hunk sighed loudly, pausing as he faced an amused Lance, the other smiling lightly at the bag of chips in Hunk’s hands.

“Back from the library?” Hunk asked, the bag on Lance’s shoulders looking heavier than yesterday. 

“Yup,” Lance answered, chapped lips popping the p. “Back from stealing food from the kitchen?” 

“What? I don't  _steal_ , the nice ladies at the cafeteria saved them for me.” Hunk easily answered, waving off Lane’s suspicious stare.

“So  _you_  do get preferential treatment! I just thought the top ten get extra food or whatever,” Lance said, tsking loudly.  

“I wish,” Hunk replied, laughing as he closed his bag of chips. “The top five get extended curfew though.”

“Seriously?” Lance asked, pursing his lips as he leaned against the wall, his book bag thudding softly. “Oh hey, if you want, you can give me half the food, that way I’ll share half the blame.”

“Oh! I see what you’re trying to do, very clever,” Hunk said, rolling his eyes at Lance’s faux attempt of helping. 

“Do you really?” Lance snapped his fingers together and smiled softly. “Here I was hoping that you wouldn't see through me.”

Hunk opened his mouth, ready to quip out another sharp line when Lane sighed heavily, pushing off the wall and rubbing his eyes.

“Is that the time already?” He turned and saw what Lance was looking at, the clock hanging high at the end of the hallway, the hands at 1:34. “I have to turn in the library key before it gets any later. See ya.” 

Hunk bit back the words that were sure to make Lance laugh as the other walked off, a slight sway in his steps.

- 

It’s fifty minutes into the test when Hunk finishes the last question. It’s not like it was easy, it was simply that he happened to study and understand all the material that was being asked. Also, it helped that the couple of questions he went over before the test were actually on the test. He swiped the eraser shavings off his desk, his paper slightly crumpled from his harsh erasing and there were pencil smudges from him dragging his hand across the page but other than that, his work was neatly lined with the answers boxed. 

He looked over his test one more time, the sound of chairs scraping back as other people turned in their test distracting him a bit, but not as much as a nervous chuckle followed by their teacher loud chortle. Hunk peeked up towards the teacher’s desk where Lance was rubbing the back of his neck roughly and the teacher was going through his test nodding.

Ah, so he was one of  _those_ students. Hunk watched Lance leave, the smile fading as he left the room and Hunk turned his attention back to checking his work.

- 

“I heard you got a perfect score on the test.” 

“I try,” Hunk said lightly as he stopped for Lance to catch up to him. “No library today?”

“Nah, today I decided to play it on the wild side and steal some cookies from the cafeteria,” Lance answered, waving a bag of chocolate chip cookies. “Want some?”

“Did you seriously take that?” Hunk asked, stepping back away from Lance, wanting no part in his terrible plan.

“Of course not,” he answered, scoffing and opening the bag. “I turned in the library key earlier and one of the professors gave them to me. Do you want some?”

Hunk narrowed his eyes at the answer, wary of trusting Lance who had earned quite the reputation for being sly over the past year. “I’ll pass this time.” 

“Your loss,” Lance said, biting into a cookie and blinked at Hunk. “What are you doing tonight?”

“Tonight?” He repeated, scratching his chin as he tried to remember if there were any upcoming tests or quizzes. “Probably do some math homework then read for bio. Why?”

“Tomorrow?” Lance asked in lieu of answering, swiping at the crumbs that lingered on his lips. 

“I don't know.  _Why?”_

“Just wondering,” Lance answered, smiling widely. “Ah, I got to go. My room is on the highest floor and let me tell you, going up five flight of stairs is no walk in the park.” 

Hunk nodded along as Lance waved goodbye and popped another chip into his mouth.  

“What did you get on your test?” Hunk blinked as Lance stopped when he realized that  _he_  asked the question. “I mean if you don't want to tell me that's fine.”

Lance slowly chewed the cookie, staring at Hunk as he swallowed and licked his lips. “I got two wrong.” 

“That's not bad,” Hunk said, calculating the percentage and the hardness of the test. An 82 on a test when the average is going to be around 74 isn’t bad at all.  

“Yeah,” Lance agreed, not saying more as he stared at Hunk.

“Well then,” Hunk coughed out, feeling awkward at the sudden tension in the air. “Goodnight.”

“Night.”

-

Hunk saw Lance with a water bottle in his hands, shuffling around as he waited outside the teacher’s lounge room. 

“Hey Lance,” he called out, waving as he got closer. “What are you doing here?” 

Lance grimaced at the sight of Hunk, putting a finger to his lips as Hunk stood in front of him. The pilot in training looked like death incarnate. Hunk heard rumors that Lance was going to change pilot classes, whatever that meant, and Hunk assumed that it was good but now looking at Lances slumped, tired frame, he was having second thoughts. 

“Waiting,” Lance bit out, peeling at the wrapper around the bottle. “How about you?” 

“I was called out for additional instruction.“ Hunk answered, stalling as Lance kept fiddling with the paper. “Are you okay?” 

Lance finally looked Hunk in the eye, surprise coloring his face as he furrowed his brows. “Do I look not okay?”

“Yeah, kind of,” Hunk answered truthfully.

Lance paused his hands, hanging his head down as he snickered. He coughed into his hands as he tried to contain his laughter, not wanting to alert the teachers that he was already there. “Very observant. Anyways, if they’re waiting for you, you should go in. I know how Major Wells gets when he has to wait too long.” 

Hunk hesitated; watching as he previous smile on Lance’s face faded and the distant look came back. He nodded and moved though, entering through the automatic sliding doors as Lance gave him a forced smile and a thumb up. 

“You’re late.” Professor Wells said, pointing at a chair in front of him for Hunk to sit at. 

 “I’m sorry about that sir,” Hunks stiffly replied, feeling like a child in trouble as he sat in front of the professor. “I don't mean to be frank but your email didn't give much detail on why I was summoned. Am I in trouble sir?”

“Not at all,” Professor Wells said, sifting through some papers on his desk. “Actually, I’m here to talk about your performance, or rather your lack of performance.” 

Hunk gulped loudly, crossing his legs at his ankles, looking at the empty space above the professor’s shoulders. “Is this about the first stimulation practice we did?” He asked already knowing the answer. 

“I’m glad you caught on. Hunk,” the Major paused, “you were the only person who ran out of the stimulation due to motion sickness. You are aware that being in a moving aircraft is a given in this type of work right?”

Hunk knew a rhetorical question when he heard one, nodding regardless as he felt the tips of his ears burn. “Yes sir. Sorry sir.”

“Good grades aren't the only thing that will get you through this academy. You need to work on your networking skills as well as your practical skills. You’re smart but so are the rest of your classmates.” 

“Right sir.” Hunk replied, nodding as he uncrossed his legs, sweat accumulating on his palms. “I’ll be sure to practice more in the simulation room.” 

“It’d be a shame if a good engineer like yourself ends up with a mediocre team because of today’s performance.” The professor sighed loudly and smiled at Hunk. “I know you can do great things Hunk, just don't let the nerves get to you too much, understand?” 

“Thank you for the encouraging word sir,” Hunk replied, getting up from the thinly veiled dismissal, the image of Lance standing outside flashed in his head. “A question, if I may ask sir.” 

“Go ahead,” Wells said, tone bored and eyes glued on his computer.

“I heard that the pilot Lance was going to move up to the advanced class,” Hunk started, stilling his hands at his side. “What does that mean?”

“People wash out of this academy all the time,” he said, voice dull as if this is a conversation he had many times. “No matter how great they are, we always have people to replace.” 

“I see,” Hunk mumbled, feeling the pressure of the double meaning behind his professor’s words. “Thank you for your time.”

Hunk left the lounge, his palms sweaty and stomach queasy when he saw Lace standing in front of the dean of the pilots. He slowed down his steps noticing Lance rubbing the back of his neck and the dean smiling and Hunk pondered if Lance was happy with the promotion.

-

Hunk walked away from the kitchen empty handed and bored. He thought that if he went a bit earlier then normal, the ladies in the kitchen would give him extra snacks but instead a professor was there and he had to lie about losing his id card. Today was just not his day. 

“What are the goods for today?” Lance asked, coming from behind Hunk and bumping into him as a greeting. “What? Nothing? Did you piss them off?”

“More like I pissed off Professor Gomez for telling her I lost my id card,” Hunk whined, pouting at the fact that he had her class tomorrow and will probably deal with her squinting at him the whole period. 

“You lost your id card? That blows,” Lance said, slowing down as he walked next to Hunk. “Where’d you lose it at? Maybe I can help you find it.” 

“I didn't lose it,” Hunk explained, sighing loudly. “I had to lie or else I would have been in even more trouble.”

“ _Oh_. I get it now,” Lance commented, laughing at Hunk. “You know what will make you feel better though?”

“Cake?” Hunk guessed, hoping that somewhere on his thing frame that Lance was hiding some food. 

“Nope,” Lance answered, a sly smile growing on his face. “Come with me.” 

Lance grabbed Hunk by the arm and lead him out of the mess hall, shushing Hunk as he tried to asked questions. He stopped and pulled Hunk down, pressing hard against the wall as a guard walked by.

“It’s not even curfew yet,” Hunk grumbled, his knees aching from hitting the floor too hard. “Why are we hiding?”

“Because it’s more adventurous this way,” Lance quipped, laughing at Hunk’s displeased face. “Look, if we meet anyone, we’re going to have to explain where we’re going and then that’ll take time and then they’ll ask us why we’re going there and that'll take more time and before you know it, it’ll be pass curfew and we’ll get in trouble.”

“ _Where_  are we going?” Hunk asked, a bit more forceful this time as Lance pulled him back up, rounding the corner of the building. 

“Somewhere,” Lance responded, the cold night air seeping into his thin sleeved shirt. “Damn, its cold huh?”

“Yeah, almost like it’s telling us to go back inside right?” Hunk said, cringing as two students walked passed them and stared at Lance’s hand clenching onto Hunk’s arm. “You can let go now. I promise not to run back to my warm, comfy bed.”

“Really?” Hunk nodded and Lance released his arm, walking in-between the bushes that lined the garrison’s buildings. “Hey can I ask you something?” 

“So you can asked questions but I can't?” Hunk mumbled, Lance's serious face stopping him from complaining some more. He rubbed his hands together, the friction creating warmth as he crouch to avoid getting hit by low branches. “Yeah, go ahead."

Lance mulled over his words, leading Hunk over a fence and through government owned vehicles, ignoring the signs of no trespassing on the gate they jumped over.

“If a position was offered to you because of someone else’s failings, would you take it?” Lance stopped and waited as a group of teachers walked in front of them, unbeknownst to the two males hiding between the buildings.

Hunk licked his lips, piecing together that Lance was talking about his promotion to fighter class pilot and of course Hunk had no idea why Lance seemed upset about it, but since he asked him unabashedly, it was Hunk’s responsibility to answer honestly. 

“Why wouldn't I?” He answered, shrugging as he followed Lance again. “I'm assuming the role was given to me because I earned it fair and square right?”

Lance was quiet and crossed the courtyard, walking behind the dorms that they both should have been in, his voice coming out ever so softly, “I guess.”

“Lance-“ 

“Look.” Lance interrupted pointing up and Hunk followed his gaze and ahhed. Even though they weren't too far from the school building's lights, it was far enough that the night sky was able to be seen perfectly, the constellations that Hunk knew by heart shining bright. “I found this a couple months ago when I was feeling real shitty. It’s hard being surrounded by geniuses and people who seem to have everything together, you know?”

“Yeah,” Hunk admitted, knowing that despite his past two weeks in the stimulation room, he hasn't gotten he at trying to remain focused and control his nerves. “But grades-“

“I’m not talking about just grades,” Lance started, sighing instead of continuing. “As a kid, traveling the stars was everything to me, it still is, but sometimes being here, in this environment really makes me second guess my dreams. I just wanted to show you this. It’s nice right?”

Hunk heard the change of tone in Lance’s voice and decided to keep quiet, after all it wasn't like he knew Lance that well. One year of causal meetings and quick conversations isn’t enough to be friends with someone. Hunk peeked down to look at Lance’s face, the bags that were present just a month before now gone and his cheekbones weren’t as prominent. 

“I feel like we really get along,” Lance blurted out, laughing nervously as Hunk stared at him. “I mean, am I wrong?” 

“No,” Hunk said, staring back at the star speckled sky, feeling warm in his neck and chest.  “You’re not wrong.” 

“Hunk…” Lance trailed off and Hunk patiently waited for the other to continue. “Get ready but we’re totally about to be busted now.”

“What?" Hunk looked away from the scenery to Lance who looked sheepish and was rubbing the back of his neck, staring at something behind Hunk. “Please don't tell me-“

"Sorry!" Lance squeaked out. 

"But it's not even curfew!" Hunk argued, icy dread replacing the fuzzy feelings from before.

“But technically this is a restricted area. I didn't think we’d be caught!” Lance hissed, groaning as he brought his hands to cover his face. “Do you think we can make a run for it?”

“Don't you dare,” Hunk warned, sighing as he resigned himself to his fate. “Just apologize when he gets here.”

“He doesn't look too pissed. Do you think he’ll let us off with a warning?” Lace asked, trying to look as presentable as possible. Hunk groaned as the principal came closer wondering how in the world did he let Lance get him into this mess. “Don't worry, I’ll make sure to take at least half of the blame.”

“Half?! More like all of the blame!” Hunk hissed, lips twitching at Lance’s sly smirk. “This isn’t funny at all” 

“I know,” Lance muttered, rolling his eyes and pouting as he walked towards the principal. “I’ll make it up with five of my deserts from dinner.” 

“Make that ten.” 

Hunk followed Lance to meet their doom, and wondered if Lance knew that he looked better than before and that he sounded better than before and that Hunk felt like he knew Lance better than before. Lance looked back and gave him a questioning stare, Hunk shaking his head and caught up with the pilot, making a mental note of the place so he could come back here again with him later.

 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for getting this far! And while i know that a lot of Lance and Hunk's backstory hasn't been revealed yet and i've taken a lot of liberty in this fic i hope they weren't too OOC.


End file.
